Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has a saying: Style points don't matter. The Broncos should patent the phrase, or at the very least, make it a part of their 2011 marketing strategy: "The Denver Broncos: Where Style Points Don't Matter … but Winning Does."

Of course, Tim Tebow doesn't need much help selling this team to the locals -- and now the rest of the nation. Not after his latest comeback performance, one that included a "Yep, we're running and you can't stop us" game plan against Rex Ryan, the guy who literally wrote the book on defending the read-option.

Artist rendering of the Broncos' new helmet.

You know how announcers will sometimes say "(Typical NFL quarterback) has a clock in his head and he knows the ball has to be out of his hands after 2.5 seconds"? Tebow has no such clock (and no pocket awareness to speak of). Instead, his alarm sounds after 55 minutes of horrific football, signifying that now it matters, now it's time to play.

It happened in Tebow's first start of the season, Week 7 in Miami; he couldn't have looked worse through three quarters and two-thirds of another. And then, as if somebody flipped the switch on the electric football game, Tebow made plays with his arm and his feet (mostly his feet), and he had the ball in his hands for the decisive score.

Which was pretty much the script to the sequal we saw Thursday night against the Jets. Tebow drove the Broncos 95 yards with just over five minutes on the clock, and he scored on a 20-yard quarterback keeper that everybody knew was coming but no one could stop.

With 1:06 on the clock, the Jets leading 13-10, and the Broncos facing a 3rd and 4 from the New York 20, Tebow lined up in the shotgun. The Jets brought eight men to the line of scrimmage because there was no way Tebow would throw the ball. Too many things could go wrong. Plus, if the Jets stopped him, Denver could kick a field goal, tie the score, and take it to overtime.

Jets safety Eric Smith was on the line of scrimmage, lined up to the outside of the tight end on the right side of the formation (Tebow's left). His job was to keep Tebow from getting outside the pocket, instead forcing him into the middle of the field where, in theory, other Jets defenders would be waiting to make the tackle. Smith didn't do his job, he lost contain, Tebow beat him to the corner, and 20 yards later, that was that. Ball game.

The dotted lines are what should've happened -- Smith contains Tebow, forcing him inside. The solid lines are what actually happened: Smith took a horrible angle, Tebow scored (you can see a video of the play below).

“When you look at it, it’s a tough thing on him,” Jets head coach Ryan said during the post-game presser when asked about Smith’s angle. “I’ll just say this, it’s a tough assignment. There is no question. Quite honestly, I’ll take Eric Smith every day of the week. He’s a tremendous player. Could we have said, ‘Hey, [have] him be wider? Should the end be wider? Everybody be wider.’ Maybe you could’ve, but you have to give Tebow credit. He made the play. I will say this, Eric sold out. Eric laid it on the line for us and we came up a little empty. [He] made a diving stab at him, but he never quite got him on the ground. Again, when you look at it, I think it’s easy to obviously second-guess, but we need to start looking forward, instead of behind us.”

"When I saw that all-out blitz, I was like, 'That is so stupid,' " he said. "They hadn't really done that all day. Once he broke the contain, that's a wrap."

Last week, Tebow was 2 for 8 and the Broncos ran the ball 55 times (mostly featuring the read-option), and beat the Chiefs. Thursday, by our unofficial count, the Broncos ran conventional running plays 15 times and went with some form of the option (both run and pass) 22 times. Tebow finished the evening 9 for 20 for 104 yards, and added 68 yards on the ground on eight carries.

Before The (New) Drive, the Jets defense held Tebow to 6 of 15 passing for 69 yards, and two carries for 11 more over 11 drives. Those 11 drives resulted in eight punts, a turnover on downs, a fumble and a field goal. And then the alarm sounded…

Lost amid all the post-game revelry and Tebowing is something we pointed out on Friday's Pick-6 Podcast (see podcast player above): the real MVP of the game was rookie linebacker Von Miller. He harassed Mark Sanchez from start to finish, and if not for the play of the Broncos' defense, Tebow never would've been in position score the winning touchdown.

But they did and he was. And now the Broncos are 5-5.

Denver has as legit shot to win the AFC West because it's a weak division, but also because through Tebow, all things are possible.

No, it ain't pretty, but style points don't matter, remember?

Play by Play

(Note: Below are the plays -- both running and passing -- involving Tebow. You can view the entire play-by-play breakdown here)

Quotes

“He did it. Tim Tebow did it. He shocked me, he probably shocked a lot of people, but he did it. We played them well through the whole game, until that last play. We played them well. Tim Tebow's legs took them to victory, ran them to victory." - Jets CB Darrelle Revis.

"Everybody looks at him from the outside. They don't see what he has on the inside. Yeah, he might not be the greatest passer. But give him a chance at the end? I've never seen anything like it." - Broncos CB Champ Bailey

"It's a lot easier to believe when you see results. That's the biggest (win) I've been a part of. At 1-4, it was very gloomy. Now, our confidence is huge." - Broncos CB Andre Goodman

Some props for Miller:

“As far as (Jets right tackle) Wayne Hunter was concerned, he was going up against an outstanding football player. Von Miller, I think, will be a Pro Bowl player this year. If not this year, he’ll be one next year. And that’s going to be tough on anybody. I thought Wayne, for the most part, did a nice job on him, but he did get Wayne a couple of times. There’s no question about that. [Miller’s] just an outstanding player and those things happen. It’s unfortunate, but Wayne might block him for 90 percent of the time, but the 10 percent that the guy got the better of Wayne are the ones that everybody is going to be focused on.” - Jets head coach Rex Ryan

Speaking of Miller…

"Tebow magic. I believe in it. I feel so happy that he's having the success that he's having. I'm glad he's able to shut up his critics. It seems like everybody wants to bash him. They don't take into account his will." - Broncos LB Von Miller

Audio-Visual

Here are the moving-pictures of that final, fateful Broncos drive:

Stop. Tebow Time.

John Elway, like everybody else on the planet, doesn't know what to make of Tebow:

Elway and Tebow: two styles, same result (layin' it on a bit thick, we know).

Tebow on brushing off his doubters (of which there are many, though their numbers are dwindling):

Tim Tebow led another fourth-quarter comeback drive ending with a 20-yard touchdown run in the final minute, to lift the Broncos over the Jets 17-13 on Thursday night. Tebow had a few choice words for his critics.

We'll sometimes joke about a particularly appalling quarterback performance setting offenses back a 100 years (it usually happens anytime Rex Grossman plays). But the Broncos' Sunday gameplan for Tim Tebow, the glorified running back who occasionally is asked to throw the ball, was right out of Fred Flinstone's high school playbook.

Of Denver's 64 offensive snaps, Tebow threw the ball eight times. He completed two passes, and ended the day with 69 passing yards. A week after Denver unveiled the read-option against a flummoxed Raiders defense, they followed the same strategy against the Chiefs. The difference: Kansas City didn't seem surprised that Tebow would, you know, run the ball. In fact, defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel prepared his players well for it; the read-option didn't yield much in the running game. It was the conventional hand-off-to-the-running-backs play-calling that caused Kansas City all sorts of problems.

Not counting Tebow's nine rushes for 43 yards, Denver averaged 4.3 yards per carry with Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno early (they left with injuries in the first half) and Lance Ball late. And this includes the final two series of the game -- all Ball runs -- as the Broncos ran out the clock.

As for the historical significance of what happened Sunday, consider this (via ESPN): the Broncos had never won a game with two or fewer completions, and no NFL team in the last quarter-century had accomplished that other than in a Week 5 2009 win for the Browns, when Derek Anderson went 2 of 17 against the somehow-more-hapless Bills.

In that game, Cleveland ran the ball 50 times and squeaked out a 6-3 victory. For an idea of just how bad it was, Captain Checkdown Trent Edwards was the most prolific passer on the day, going 16 of 31 for 152 yards.

The Broncos, meanwhile, are 4-5 and just one game back of the division-leading Raiders. The question going forward, of course, is can Denver win with the "run, run, then run some more" game plans.

Against the Chiefs, Tebow's passing opportunities were limited. He didn't attempt a throw in the first half, maxed out with five attempts in the second quarter, added two more in the third and was 1 for 1 with a 56-yard touchdown pass in the final quarter. His misses weren't nearly as off the mark as they have been in recent weeks. Two early deep throws should've been caught, another was woefully underthrown, and his running back dropped a short pass in the second half. Tebow's worst throw of the afternoon was on 3rd and 4, when the ball traveled approximately 2.5 yards in the air before short-hopping his intended target. In that sense, Tebow improved, though probably not nearly enough to be considered anything other than a fullback with a pretty good arm.

Play by Play

(Note: Below are the plays -- both running and passing -- involving Tebow. You can view the entire play-by-play breakdown here)

Quotes

"After a while, you come to the realization that Ernie Els' golf swing is different than Lee Trevino's, but it's what they're comfortable with, they both work, and they both win.'' - Broncos head coach John Fox

"I thought they had a terrific plan, and it just took us too long to figure out how to get the run stopped, whoever was running it, whether it was the quarterback or the backs or the receivers," - Chiefs coach Todd Haley (By the way: this is why Haley will probably be looking for work in January)

"If you don't have to throw it as much, I guess you're probably winning, but eight times? Never heard of that." - Broncos CB Champ Bailey on Tebow's 2-for-8 afternoon. When asked the last time he played in a game in which his team passed the ball eight times, Bailey said "never."

“This is very frustrating because you’re in a good position. Leading up into the game, you’ve got a good scheme against a guy like Tebow. There’s no one to blame. It’s just us as a unit. We didn’t pull it through. … They just outexecuted us. That’s all that happened. Can’t say they wanted it more. I mean, I don’t know what happened, man.” - Chiefs CBJavier Arenas

"At this rate, I would say yes. Now, who knows? But he's running the offense well, and he's not turning it over.'' - Fox responding to SI's Peter King on if Tebow as the starter for the rest of the season.

Audio-Visual

Here are the moving-pictures recap of the Broncos' win over the Chiefs:

Tim Tebow hit Eric Decker on a 56-yard touchdown pass, one of his only two completions in the game, helping the Denver Broncos to a 17-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. CBS Sports' Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker have the recap.

Eye on Tebow

Tebow (15) gets past Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Glenn Dorsey (72) to score a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Tim Tebow is 2-1 as a starter this season. After watching his performance against the Lions last week it's, well, a miracle. But faith is a big part of Tebow's life. So when absolutely no one -- including his coach -- believed he was anything more than a glorified fullback, Tebow came out against the Raiders … and looked a lot like a fullback.

The former Heisman winner rushed for 118 yards on 12 carries. He also had two legitimate "Hey, look at me I'm an NFL QB!" touchdown throws, but finished just 10 of 21 for 124 yards. It was more than enough against the Raiders, an outfit that committed a season's worth of stupid penalties in an afternoon, and seemed genuinely perplexed to learn that Tebow was a threat to run.

Whatever, it's a win, which have been hard to come by in Denver the last two seasons. Never mind that there are still serious questions about Tebow's long-term viability. On Sunday, he outplayed the Raiders' savior, Carson Palmer, who still looks like a guy fresh out off a nine-month break from football.

For all the criticism heaped on head coach John Fox in recent weeks, give the man credit for tailoring the Broncos' offense around Tebow's strengths. In watching every one of Tebow's snaps this season (preseason too!) a couple things quickly stand out: He struggles to throw accurately on the run (the irony isn't lost on us), and he's at his best on screen passes and short throws. (Yes, we realize this is a scouting report you might expect to read on a junior high school player.)

Against the Raiders the game plan was pretty simple: run Willis McGaheea lot, draw up some designed runs for Tebow (specifically: the Broncos' new-fangled, pro-style run-option scheme to go along with the old standards: Tebow draws and sneaks), give him some easy short throws, and take the occasional shot down the field. Denver didn't abandon the plan, even though they trailed by 10 points in the third quarter. Instead, they continued to lean on the running game and that, dumb Raiders' penalties, and a huge Eddie Royal touchdown return resulted in a blowout.

There's no question that Tebow played much better this week than last, and a lot of that had to do with what the coaches asked him to do (or more accurately: what they didn't ask him to do).

Can he keep it going?

Our eyes and brain tell us no … but this is the AFC West where mediocrity is rampant and every team is a playoff contender. The Broncos head to Kansas City next and the Chiefs are fresh off quite possibly the most embarrassing loss of the season, a 31-3 thumping at the hands of the previously 0-7 Dolphins.

So, yeah, anything can happen.

Play by Play

Quotes

"It's a tribute to our coaches. We've definitely made adjustments. We've been in the process of adjusting for the last three weeks. It's a different style, but it can be effective." - Broncos head coach John Fox

"I think it was college." - Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer on the last time he saw a read-option running attack, referring to Tebow and the Broncos' rushing attack which racked up 281 yards on the ground.

"Honestly, I put that pressure on myself more than anybody else. To try to improve and ultimately get a victory no matter how it looks. That was a special one." - Tim Tebow

"I'm shocked. Ain't no way I thought that team could put 38 points on us with that quarterback. This hurt more than Buffalo." - Raiders defensive tackleTommy Kelly

Audio-Visual

Here are the moving-pictures recap of the Broncos' comeback win:

Willis McGahee ran for 163 yards and Tim Tebow threw two touchdown passes to lead the Denver Broncos to a 38-24 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. CBS Sports' Greg Gumble and Dan Dierdorf have the recap.

When we started Tracking Tebowback in August, we'd figure it would be something to pass the time during the preseason, before Tim Tebow took his place on the bench next to BradyQuinn and behind Kyle Orton. We made this leap based on head coach John Fox saying that Orton was his starter and Tebow wasn't ready.

Five weeks later and everything changed. Actually, all that seemed to change is that Fox caved to public pressure to give Tebow a shot. Admittedly, Orton had been awful, and Denver had nothing to lose by throwing Tebow out there, but it still made Fox look indecisive and out of sorts, not exactly attributes you want in a coach, much less one in his first year in the job.

But there's also this: Fox inherited this roster from Josh McDaniels, who so mismanaged the Broncos' personnel situation that it could set them back for years. Of all McDaniels' decisions, the worst may have been shipping Jay Cutler to Chicago for Orton and picks, and then trading up in the 2010 draft to take Tebow (honorable mention: trading Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn). Fox has three quarterbacks on the roster, none that he likes, and with the season already lost, he's going to see what he's got (though we suspect he already knows).

Clearly, Orton has shown that he can be a competent NFL quarterback, but his contract is up after season. After he stumbled through the first month of the season, Fox gave Tebow an opportunity on the off chance that Tebow might redefine what it means to win ugly. The finishes against the Chargers and the Dolphins only exacerbated Tebow Mania. But against the Lions Sunday, Tebow, as the Denver Post described him afterward, looked like "the worst quarterback" in the league. That may not be what you want to hear if you're the Broncos ... but it's not far from the truth, either.

Does Tebow deserve all the criticism coming his way? No, of course not. Just like he didn't deserve the over-the-top praise he got after the Dolphins' win. But here's the thing: like it or not, he's the face of the Broncos, at least for now. Part of the deal when you become an NFL starting quarterback is that the media scrutiny can be intense. The payoff: do well, lead your team to the playoffs, and everybody loves you. The downside: pretty much what Tebow is going through now.

We watched every snap Tebow took Sunday and while the opponents change, the results remain the same. Namely: Tebow continues to struggle with identifying coverages, going through his progressions, and getting the ball out of his hands on time. Couple that with average arm strength, poor mechanics and inaccuracy issues, and you get a lot of bad football. His line against Detroit: 18 of 39 for 172 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, and 10 rushes for 63 yards. Denver lost, 45-10, and it was somehow more of a blowout than the final indicates.

In a week, we've gone from "Tebow: the Winner!" to "Tebow: What the What?!" Who knows how this story ends, but there will be plenty of time for that. For now, here's a play-by-play look at Tebow's performance against the Lions.

Play by Play

Quotes

“Can you believe No. 15 (Tebow)? Come on – that’s embarrassing. I mean, it’s a joke. We knew all week that if we brought any kind of defensive pressure, he couldn’t do anything. In the second half it got boring out there. We were like, ‘Come on – that’s your quarterback? Seriously?’” - Anonymous Lions defender to Yahoo.com's Michael Silver

"It's too early to say. I haven't even had a shower yet, let alone looked at that tape. But we'll look at it and make changes where we see they are needed. We've definitely got to get better." - Coach John Fox when asked if Tebow would remain Denver's starting QB

"I think there are a few things (Tebow) can get better (at). The majority you can't correct. We've documented his accuracy, his elongated motion. … And watching last week's tape, the thing that was most disturbing was his ability to not understand where the ball has to go. His (lack of) awareness is mind-boggling to me. … The accuracy, that's not going to change. When you have the pocket, and you have the ability to get rid of the football, but you're unaware of where the ball's going to go, that disturbs me more (than the other issues)." - ESPN analyst and Tebow critic, Merril Hoge

"I like Tebow but that was pathetic. That wasn't a resemblance of an NFL quarterback. It's not all on him -- no running game, no blocking, no nothing (but) Detroit's defense isn't that darn good to put up numbers like that. That was crazy." - NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders.

Audio-Visual

Here's a sullen Tebow after the game:

The Detroit Lions (6-2) sacked Tim Tebow seven times and turned his two turnovers into touchdowns as they snapped a two-game skid with a 45-10 victory over the Denver Broncos.

The Power of Tebow compels you, indeed. Tim Tebow made his first start of the 2011 season and for 55 minutes he was not just the worst quarterback on the field, but one of the worst players. That's saying something because Denver and Miami had one win between them.

And then something happened. He found inspiration from his teammates, divine intervention from above, or maybe he just realized he was playing the winless Dolphins, the same organization that saw fit to honor Tebow at halftime for his college accomplishments that took place 350 miles to the north.

Whatever the reason, Tebow led two scoring drives late in the fourth quarter to tie the game, the Broncos won it in overtime on a field goal, and at least for a week, he quieted the doubters that insist he's not an NFL quarterback.

If not for the bumbling antics of a Miami team that is now 0-6, you could make the case that Tebow would have proven his critics right. Instead, he made a few timely throws, tied the game on a patented Tebow Sneak (somehow the Dolphins weren't aware that Tebow likes to run that play), and is 1-0 as Denver's starter this season.

Whatever your thoughts on Tebow's NFL prospects, one thing is certain: he's unconventional. Whether he can win that way over the long haul remains to be seen, but as Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin loves to say: Style points don't matter.

Something else to keep in mind going forward: against a Dolphins defense that allowed Tom Brady to throw for 500 yards in Week 1, Tebow had 24 passing yards after three quarters. Twenty-four. He was also sacked seven times, mostly because he struggled to get the ball out on time, instead trying to make plays, time and again, with his legs.

But, hey, if we're willing to be patient with Colt McCoy, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder and, hell, Kevin Kolb, we should extend the same courtesy to Tebow. Even if he doesn't fit our vision of what constitutes an NFL quarterback. Ultimately, his performance will determine his fate. Unless, of course, the Broncos keep winning. Then he can play like he did against the Dolphins.

Quotes

“We sat together on the sideline, talked and prayed. I just saw it in his face, his want-to.” - Broncos WR Demaryius Thomason Tebow

“That’s what Tebow does, he creates. He kept fighting. He’s one of those guys that win games. Finds ways to win games, make plays. It wasn’t pretty. Should’ve been a win for us. But it wasn’t.” - Dolphins DE Jason Taylor

“Everyone in the whole stadium knew he was [running] the ball (on the 2-point conversion). We just didn’t make the play.” - Dolphins LBKarlos Dansby

"I try not to pay attention to [the crowd cheering for me], but you do hear it. Kupe (right guard Chris Kuper) said something to me about the crowd in the huddle before our first drive. I told the guys, 'Hey guys, I appreciate the crowd support, but I'm here for you guys. I want you guys to believe in me.'" - Tebow

Audio-Visual

Here's the game-winner:

Denver Quarterback Tim Tebow capped off a miraculous 4th quarter comeback by sending the game to overtime, with this 2 point conversion in the final seconds of regulation against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

And here's the game recap:

Tim Tebow rallied the Broncos for two touchdowns in the final 2:44 of the fourth quarter to force overtime, and help lead to an 18-15 victory Sunday over the stunned Miami Dolphins. CBS Sports' Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots have the recap.

What started as a way to keep up with Tebow Mania through the preseason has now taken on a life of its own. That's right, Tim Tebow took the field in Week 5 against the Chargers, and not as an emergency wide receiver or wildcat specialist, but as a real live NFL quarterback. Broncos fans have been clamoring for this moment pretty much since the team drafted Tebow in April 2010 and now, thanks to hard work, perserverance, and some truly dreadful performances from incumbent Kyle Orton, the masses have gotten what they asked for.

What happens next? Who knows. Head coach John Fox isn't yet naming a starter, and once you get past the "Tebow played?!" hysteria, there is no obvious choice for the job. Orton is, in general, a better player. But he's been uninspiring this season and he'll be a free agent in January. The same issues that plagued Tebow when he came into the league -- the long delivery, the inadequate arm strength, the inability to read defenses -- were still present and accounted for against the Chargers.

But it's not like the Broncos' playoff hopes rest on this decision. Whoever ends up under center will be leading a team destined for another losing season. The only question is who would benefit most from the experience. Common sense says Tebow because he's younger, and the team's former top pick. The problem with that, though, is that Tebow has yet to prove he is, you know, a legit NFL quarterback. We suspect that, at this point, Broncos fans don't care. They just want change and Tebow is certainly that.

Whatever happens, we're just happy to reintroduce the Tebow Tracker, and idea originally born out of the football world's fascination with Tebow, even in games that didn't count. We figured that once the regular season began, the Tracker, like Tebow, would be shelved. Thankfully, Tebow is no quitter.

And neither are we. We'll chart every one of his regular-season snaps, the result, and what it all means going forward. Let's get to it.

(From the shotgun) Tebow pass short right to E.Decker to DEN 33 for no gain

It's a short drop, Tebow looks left, his first option is covered, then looks right, throws the ball across the field for a play that had no chance of gaining two yards, much less eight. Upside: it was a completion. Downside: it went for no gain.

4th & 8, DEN 28

PUNT

3:56 left in 3rd qtr

1st & 10, DEN 7

Tebow handoff to McGahee right guard to DEN 10 for 3 yards

2nd & 7, DEN 10

(From the shotgun) Tebow pass incomplete deep left to B.Lloyd

3-step drop, Tebow eyes Lloyd running down the left sideline and throws to him in single-coverage. Lloyd almost comes down with the ball but was ruled out of bounds. Not a bad throw.

3rd & 7, DEN 10

(From the shotgun) Tebow pass incomplete deep middle to E.Decker

Short drop, can't find a receiver, scrambles left before launching a ball down the field just out of the reach of Decker near midfield. From the snap until the ball left his hand, seven seconds elapsed. In general, this is one of Tebow's problems.

SD finally plays the QB sneak, Tebow takes a few steps to his left and throws a nice pass to the back corner of the end zone but Lloyd is well-defended.

0:24 left in the 4th qtr

1st & 10, DEN 20

(From the shotgun) Tebow pass incomplete deep right to B.Lloyd. Play Challenged by Replay Assistant and REVERSED. (Shotgun) Tebow pass deep right to B.Lloyd ran ob at DEN 40 for 20 yards

Easily Tebow's best completion of the day even if it required a great effort from Lloyd. Tebow stood tall in the pocket, delivered the ball between two defenders, and it ended up being a 20-yard gain.

1st & 10, DEN 40

(From the shotgun) Tebow pass to D.Fells to SD 29 for 31 yards

With SD in their prevent, Tebow holds the ball for five seconds before finding Fells in the middle of the field with two seconds to go (after the Broncos rush to the line and Tebow spikes the ball for one more play...)

2nd & 10, SD 29

(From the shotgun) Tebow pass incomplete deep right to M.Willis

Pretty sure this wasn't how the Broncos drew the play up. Tebow takes scrambling to a new level (see graphic below) before throwing the ball into the back of the end zone for an incompletion (though we wouldn't have been shocked if Willis came down with the ball).

That's right, we're tracking Tebow's performance throughout the preseason because, well, like a slow-motion train wreck we can't look away. And who knows, maybe this experiment doesn't derail and it has a happy ending. Wait, what's that? You don't care about Tebow? Then what are you doing here?

It took four preseason games, but Tim Tebow finally resembled the player Josh McDaniels thought he might be when he selected him in the first round of the 2010 draft. By now, Tebow's recent travails are familiar to everybody, even those with just a passing interest in football. And while he's been out of the running for the Broncos' No. 1 job for weeks now, the backup gigs have yet to be decided by head coach John Fox.

If we're working from the "what have you done for me lately?" premise, Tebow wins in a landslide. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals, while starter Brady Quinn managed to go 4 of 12 for 26 yards, including an interception. Denver lost to Arizona, 26-7.

But as the Denver Post's Mike Klis notes, Quinn outpaced Tebow by a wide margin in the first two preseason games (proof here and here).

Tebow was asked about his place on the depth chart after the Cards game. "I don't know," he said, via Klis. "I've never gone through something like this before, so I'm not really sure." And Fox, as he's said before, "more than likely not name a 2 or 3, because I believe it's a competitive issue."

Yes, because the obfuscation would be too much for opponents. No way they could prepare for both Quinn and Tebow. Either way, Klis makes a good point: "Long term, it would make sense to push Tebow along because both Orton and Quinn are free agents after this season. Tebow will make $6.7 million this year (he has already collected $6.28 million in salary advance), and will then have three more years left on his contract."

For now, all we can do is analyze Tebow's last start. That's right, it's the final edition of the Tebow Tracker, where we chart every one of his preseason snaps, the result, and what it all means for him and the Broncos in 2011. This installment is the most laudatory yet. That's right, people, the power of positive thinking at work. Alright, let's get to it...

Play-action that never had a chance; LT was beat off the snap and Tebow eventually dropped.

2nd & 26, DEN 16

(From the shotgun) Tebow pass incomplete short right to D.Goodwin.

Tebow fumbles the snap and is lucky to avoid a turnover deep in his own end.

3rd & 26, DEN 16

(From the shotgun) B.Minor up the middle to DEN 31 for 15 yards

4th & 11, DEN 31

PUNT

4th series, 4:33 left in 4th qtr.

1st & 10, DEN 6

Tebow pass short left to D.Goodwin to DEN 19 for 13 yards.

Three-step drop, ball is out quickly, and 6-7 yards after the catch on a nice move by Goodwin.

1st & 10, DEN 19

Tebow pass deep right to D.Goodwin pushed OB at DEN 45 for 26 yards.

Great protection. Tebow stands in the pocket for at least five seconds before finding Goodwin.

1st & 10, DEN 45

Tebow pass short middle to J.Johnson to DEN 45 for no gai

Screen pass.

2nd & 10, DEN 45

(From the shotgun) Tebow pass incomplete short middle to J.Johnson.

Has plenty of time and good protection. Somehow misses a wide open Johnson running a crossing pattern 10 yards downfield.

3rd & 10, DEN 45

(From the shotgun) Tebow pass short right to E.Riley pushed ob at ARZ 43 for 12 yards.

Nice play -- stands tall in the pocket, steps into the throw and gets the first down.

1st & 10, ARZ 43

(From the shotgun) Tebow pass deep right to E.Riley for 43 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Almost a replay of the previous play. Three-step drop, hangs in the pocket, and hits Riley in stride.

Quotes, Video Awesomeness

"What we all have to remember is that when Josh McDaniels traded up to get him in the first round, that was a minority opinion in a big way in NFL talent evaluation circles. Not to say there weren't other people who were high in Tim Tebow, but to go out and get him in the first round … Josh McDaniels was sort of out on an island there. However, it's not shocking to me that a new regime would not embrace him with nearly the same enthusiasm. So, I went to Denver expecting to write about Tebow, but I was just struck with how much things had changed." - Yahoo.com's Michael Silver

"I just worry about what I can contro. I've gone out there every day with a great attitude, great effort and great work ethic. If I do that, I know I'll improve every day, and I'm not worried about what everybody else is saying." - Tim Tebow

"I just got done looking at the film (of the Cardinals game). And I've moved on." - Brady Quinn

GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 01: Quarterback Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos warms up before the preseason NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 1, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Action Shots

Hey, it's like he never left college! We admit to giving Tebow a hard time tha last six weeks or so, but let's be honest: the guy looked nothing like an NFL quarterback for most of that time. And while we're happy that he showed well in the preseason finale, Kyle Orton deserves to be the starter. After 2011, when Orton and Quinn are no longer under contract? That's a different story. But this much is certain: there's no need to rush Tebow on the field now.Feel free to relive all the preseason magic that was "Tracking Tebow." You know you want to.

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That's right, we're tracking Tebow's performance throughout the preseason because, well, like a slow-motion train wreck we can't look away. And who knows, maybe this experiment doesn't derail and it has a happy ending. Wait, what's that? You don't care about Tebow? Then what are you doing here?

Tim Tebow's fate as an NFL quarterback changes weekly. In July, he was the Broncos' franchise QB only to see those plans scrapped when Kyle Orton wasn't traded to the Dolphins. Then Tebow went from the guy behind the guy, to the guy behind Brady Quinn, to the fourth-best quarterback on the roster. And a few days later, he returned to the No. 2 gig. More than that, the organization not only has no plans to trade or release Tebow, he appears to be in their long-term plans.

This all happened over a few weeks and we've still got another preseason game to play before we get to the regular season.

Anyway, we finally got a chance to watch Tebow's Week 3 preseason performance against the Seahawks. Head coach John Fox said going into the game that Tebow had only thrown nine preseason passes so he wanted to give the 2010 first-rounder more playing time. Which is exactly what he got versus Seattle. He completed 6 of 11 throws for 93 yards and rushed four times for 25 yards in just over a quarter of work. He was also under center for the final drive that led to a game-winning 51-yard field goal.

Yes, it's another edition of the Tebow Tracker, where we chart every one of his preseason snaps, the result, and what it all means for him and the Broncos in 2011. This installment is slightly more upbeat than the gloom and doom that followed his 1-of-2 for 10-yards effort against the Bills last week.

If nothing else, it's a reminder that NFL fortunes can change in a flash, and when you're talking about Tebow, sometimes faster than that. Alright, let's get to it...

Unintentionally Awkward Headlines

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 27: Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos runs with the ball during the pre season game against the Seattle Seahawks at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on August 27, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images)

Action Shots

After Tebow spent much of the Bills game standing around wondering what had become of his NFL career, we have some actual action shots this week.. Against the Seahawks it was another inconsistent performance, but that's what you expect from a second-year quarterback. We're not sure if he's showing progress or still trying to find his way in the NFL. Given that he'd only completed nine passes this preseason, we tend to think it's the latter. That said, the organization appears to have faith in Tebow, something that wasn't clear a week ago.

Please join us next week for another installment of "Tracking Tebow." You know you want to.

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